Automatically-moving sign.



No. 880,315. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908. G. J. LORD.

AUTOMATICALLY MOVING SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1907.

qmm m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE JARVIS LORD, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN EDWARD THORSELL' AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN R. HUNTER, OF ALEXANDRIA, LOU- ISIANA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO RUTH WIGGINS OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATICALLY-MOVIN G SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed May 1907. Serial No. 374,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE JARVIS Loan, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and.

moving sign which shall be automatically moved by the motion of the vehicle upon which it is carried, and to this end Iprovide a movable disk or disks carrying a series of signs or other advertising matter, and cause the same to be actuated by a spring pawl or pawls controlled by a weight or weights, which weights are moved vertically or horizontally by the movement of the vehicle carrying the sign, all aswill more fully ap pear hereinbelow.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents an elevation of m improved sign with the back plate remove and Fig. 2 represents a sectional view on the line XY of Fig. ,1. Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the slotted guide piece.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in all of the views.

I represents a dial of any suitable material, and provided around its periphery with a series of signs, or groups of advertising matter, Q represents the back plate, and R the front plate of the casing containing mysign, the plate R being provided with the aperture J through which the various signs or other advertising matter may be successively read.

The dial I is rotatably mounted on the short shaft L, as is also the ratchet wheel F, and disk H fastened to the same, serves to hold the dial I in place. The disk K is provided on the rear side of the dial I, as shown, and by means of screws or other fastenin 's is secured through said dial I to the disk The disks H and K serve to stifien the structure.

Supported securely at D, and extending across the rear of the dial I, as shown, is the spring E. The free end of this spring passes t rough the slotted guide A, and carries the adjustable weight (3, and near its middle it carries the adjustable spring pawl G, as shown.

B is a bent spring detent to prevent backward movement of the ratchet F. V

M is a springpin passing through the shaft L to hold the parts securely in place. Suspended from shaft L, by the rod N is the weight 0, and the spring pawl P is attached to said rod and engages the ratchet F, as shown. i

The operation of my improved sign is as follows :The individual signs or groups of advertising matter are so spaced around the periphery of the dial I that one of the same conveniently fills the a erture J, the others being concealed behin the front plate R. When the vehicle carrying said sign is in .rnotion,, however, the joltmg of the same causes the weight C to move up and down, and to thereby reciprocate the pawl G over the ratchet F, and to turn the'same together with the dial I and the signs or advertising matter thereon, causing said si ns to' continuously change at the opening and thereby aiding in attracting the attention of passengers thereto. This motion is also caused by the swinging of the weight 0 horizontally. In other words the weight C will be caused to move up and down by jolts or like movements in the vehicle, and the weight 0 to move horizontally by side wise movements in the vehicle if the sign is supported on an end a of the same, or by longitudinal movements of the vehicle, if the sign is supported on the side wall of the same. No matter what the movements of the vehicle may be, one or the other of said weights will receive an im ulse, since they are supported at substantial y right angles to each other, and one or the other will therefore communicate its motion to the sign.

'Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:

1. In an automatic sign, the combination of a suitable apertured casing, a rotatable dial therein, a ratchet, two disks one on each side of said dial, a shaft on which said dial, disks and ratchet rotate, a spring secured at one end and free to swing at its other end, a

weight on the free end of said s ring, a guide for said spring, a pawl carried y said sprin and engaging said ratchet, and a detent paw for reventing a backward motion of said ratciiet, substantially as described.

. 2. In an automatic sign, the combination of a'suitably apertured seeing, a rotatable dial therein, a ratchet, two disks one on each side of said dial and secured to the same, a

shaft on which said dial, disks and ratchet rotate, a spring pin securely holding the parts together, a spring secured at one end and free to swing atits other end, a Weight adjustably secured to the free'end of said spring, a slotted guide compelling said free end of said spring to move in a vertical path, a awl-carried by said s ring and engaging said ratchet, and a bent etent pawl for pre: venting a backward motion of said ratchet,

' substantially as described.

3. In an automatic sign, the combination of a suitable apertured casing, a rotatable dial therein, a ratchet, two disks one on each side of said dial, a shaft on which said dial,

seems disks and ratchet rotate, a spring secured at one end and free to swing at its other end, a

ratchet, said rod and said spring being at substantially right angles to each other, and a detent pawl for preventing backwardv motion ofsaid ratchet, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE JARVIS LORD. Witnesses:

B. M. CORREAU,

A. A. GOLBSOHMIDT. 

